STAPLES Center to Commemorate 10th Anniversary With Year-Long Celebration

November 2, 6:26 PMSTAPLES Center ExaminerSTAPLES Center Examiner

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Commemorating STAPLES Center’s 10th Anniversary, Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of AEG, owners of the downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment arena was joined by the venue’s Sr. Vice President and General Manager Lee Zeidman, Los Angeles City Council Member Jan Perry as well as other dignitaries, partners and athletes to detail plans for a year-long celebration as well as new partnerships and features being unveiled at the arena considered by many to be the nation’s most important, successful and profitable venue.

A highlight of the year-long celebration will be promotion for fans to determine the ‘Greatest Moment’ which has taken place in the arena since its Grand Opening on October 17th, 1999 when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band took the stage as STAPLES Center’s first concert. Beginning today, fans are encouraged to nominate at www.staplescenter.com their suggestion of the greatest moment to have taken place in the arena which has hosted over 2,200 events and over 37 Million guests in the last decade. In early February, in association with FOX Sports West, the Top 25 “finalists” will be announced with fans voting for the #1 Greatest Moment to have taken place at STAPLES Center and be entered to win to win a three year lease on a Toyota Prius, as well as prize packages from STAPLES Center’s other Founding Partners.

“STAPLES Center is incredibly excited to give the fans that have attended games, concerts or special events or have seen them on television to share their greatest moment with us,” Lee Zeidman, STAPLES Center General Manager. “We feel this is a way for fans to be connected and to look back on the number of amazing history making events that have occurred over the last ten years.”

It was also announced that Coca Cola has now been named STAPLES Center’s Official Beverage Supplier, providing all non-alcoholic beverages thus becoming one of arena’s Founding Partner’s joining American Express, Anheuser Busch, FOX, McDonalds, Panasonic, San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino, The Home Depot, Toyota and Wachovia in this category. Each of these Founding Partners will contribute prizes for fans who are selected as winners as part of the ‘Greatest Moment’ promotion.

Earlier in the week, Naming Rights Partner Staples, Inc, announced that they have elected to extend its naming rights agreement in perpetuity creating the first lifetime naming rights extension for a major-market arena. Staples original contract to ‘name’ STAPLES Center included an option after ten years for this unprecedented type of extension.
Our Founding Partners are the glue that help make STAPLES Center and all of our AEG Venues run smoothly, and we are excited to now have Coca-Cola an official partner at STAPLES Center,” Timothy J. Leiweke, President, AEG. “The STAPLES Center Greatest Moment Promotion allows us to involve both the fans and our founding partners, all while celebrating the history of this great venue!”

This summer STAPLES Center completed $20 Million in renovations and upgrades to the arena. The new designs and creative look in the San Manuel Club, Lexus Club, Suite Level concourse, VIP Entrances and new look on the Main and Upper Concourse and the Even Level were all done by Rosetti.

The San Manuel Club, which is an exclusive restaurant and bar located on Suite Level A for Suite Holders and Premier Seat holders had increased visibility to maximize the site lines into the area, as well as increasing the seat capacity with flexibility for optimizing a variety of seating configurations for private events, as well as during sporting events and concerts. There are all new floor and wall finishes through at the San Manuel Club, while retaining the sophistication inherent in to STAPLES Center. The furniture has all been replaced, along with all new Panasonic Flat Screen installed throughout.

The Lexus Club, which is a members only restaurant and bar located adjacent to the San Manuel Club on Suite Level A, has had a facelift of its’ own, adding a new rotunda entry with a view through to the Nokia Plaza at L.A. LIVE, and the addition of a wine viewing room, and increased seating area.

All three suite levels of STAPLES Center now have new red painted walls and rich carpeting that add sophistication inherent in a hotel hospitality offering. The addition of more STAPLES Center event photography and lighting has helped create a very warm and inviting feel for STAPLES Center suite and premier seat holders. Both VIP Entrances have also had new lush and rich finishes added, along with new carpeting, LED lighting and starlit artwork that welcomes all STAPLES Center’s VIP guests and fans.

On STAPLES Center’s Main Concourse the former space known as the Royal Room, has now been named the Budweiser Lounge. It is a contemporary interactive space reflecting the Budweiser brand and has been designed to create a high energy social experience place for fans. The entire Main and Upper Concourses have an all new creative look at the concession stands, along the wall and at the mobile food and beverage carts depicting the history of STAPLES Center and the emergence on L.A. LIVE.

The entire Event Level has been redesigned to address the requirements of the elite team and the star performers that come to play at STAPLES Center. The Event Level concourse has been “dressed up” with wood paneling on the walls, stainless steel portals and team entries, rich stainless branding and logos. The LA Kings locker room has also been completely renovated and now offers all the amenities of a private country club. The Player Lounge has a private dressing area, a high top center bar and serving areas that allow the players to be served pre-game meals, enjoy pre-game or post-game meetings in a casual yet professional environment, and the addition of a tiered viewing room.

The final part of the STAPLES Center 2009 renovation is the Hyde Lounge, which is owned by SBE, which is a company that has as become a revolutionary force in each of its specialized operating divisions– Hotels, Restaurant and Nightlife and Real Estate. The new Hyde Lounge at STAPLES Center is set to open on October 27, 2009. This incarnation of Hyde Lounge will be modeled after its famed predecessor on Sunset Boulevard. With this new space, SBE is looking to raise the bar and provide a luxurious hide-away for VIP clientele, whilst offering unparalleled table-side services in a luxurious and thematic ultra-lounge. Through its cascading fabric facades, multi-functional furnishings and easily dividable spaces, Hyde embraces flexibility on a myriad of levels all while addressing the diverse needs of the various A-Listers & celebrities who will be looking to carry on the Hyde tradition. The lounge will merge edgy charcoal and silver aesthetics with a plush-ness of a sophisticated speak-easy. The elite space will also feature ledge seats overlooking the bowl and a similar masculine yet warm design of rich leather furnishings and fabrics with strong earth tones and hand-carved finishes. It will continue to possess the glamour intrinsic to The SBE Collection. The cuisine and drinks will be run in tandem with Staples’ existing food vendor, Levy Restaurants, but will feature items from menus of popular SBE restaurants, including favorites from the Katsuya brand.

The first ten years have been incredibly exciting at STAPLES Center and with the new renovations and upgrades the venue is looking forward to celebrating the past and looking forward to the future. For more details and to nominate a STAPLES Center Great Moment fans can visit www.staplescenter.com.